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DMACC softball team finishes third in national championship

Staff Reports

Boone News-Republican

The Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) softball team closed out the 2013-14 season with a third-place finish in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Softball National Championship May 14-17 at Clinton, Miss.

The Bears opened tournament play with wins over Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) on May 14 and Highland Community College (HCC) on May 15. DMACC, seeded fifth, suffered its first loss on May 16, dropping a 4-3 decision to top-seeded and defending national champion Louisiana State University-Eunice (LSUE). The Bears kept their tournament hopes alive with wins over Kankakee Community College (KCC) and Illinois Central College (ICC), also on May 16 to become one of three teams remaining in the tournament.

LSUE then handed DMACC its second tournament loss, 1-0 in an elimination game on May 17, ending the season for the Bears. DMACC ended play at 47-12, its most wins ever in a season. LSUE went on to defeat Jones County Junior College (JCCC) in back-to-back games to claim its second consecutive national championship.

Freshman Jamie Reynolds of Des Moines had three base hits and sophomore Katlin Briley of Creston contributed a pair of hits in DMACC’s 4-3 loss to LSUE. The Bears opened the game with five consecutive base hits and scored all three of their runs in the first inning. Sophomore Riley Fisher of Des Moines tossed a five-hitter in the loss, which saw the Bears outhit the Lady Bengals, 9-5.

Sophomore Amanda Widener of Boone had three hits and sophomore Aly Netty of Waterloo contributed a two-run home run to lead DMACC past KCC. Netty got the win in the game and Fisher earned her first save of the season.

Fisher pitched a two-hitter and sophomore Allie Fitzgerald of Des Moines hit a two-run home run in the second inning to lead DMACC past ICC. Widener contributed two hits to the victory.

LSUE broke a scoreless tie with a run in the top of the seventh to eliminate DMACC from the tournament. Briley, Fisher, Widener, freshman Jessica Bastian of Des Moines, Reynolds and Fitzgerald had hits in the game and Fisher tossed a two-hitter in suffering the loss. DMACC threatened in the bottom of the seventh with runners at second and third and only one out, but failed to score.

Three DMACC players were honored for their performances in the tournament. Fisher received the Pitcher of the Tournament Award, Briley was named the top defensive player in the tournament and Widener was named to the all-tournament team as an outfielder.